And you thought modern bits were harsh

My first look at this thing "good grief" came out of my mouth. OH MY GOSH!



Apparently it's a celtic bit found.

Anyone else find any wierd looking bits? Pictures or actual ones. I found one buried in the field one year. It's got a piece of wire wound around and welded to the mouthpiece.

Just one more reason to go bitless.

Good Gawd

Another interesting thing to do is look at old paintings and statues. Hunting scenes and statues of military leaders and the like. The horse always has his mouth open and wild eyed. I suppose it's to show the subjects machismo and mastery of this wild animal.

In hunting scenes it's the same; mouth open, staring eyes and (what makes me laugh) English tack that hasn't changed a bit over the centuries! Seems that horse owners will accept innovation in the fields of rugging, supplements, boots etc but it's a mountain to climb to get change in the field of saddles and bridles.

WOW where was that found?
Poor horses!

I think Bits have changed in recent times, Mylers, Neue Schule etc, but the horse world can't get over the bit=control thought.

I was watching the Olympics over the weekend and in the first jumping round a girl from Australia fell off her horse when it refused.
A couple of days later in the next round they had changed its bit as they thought that it was causing a problem, she had a run out and the commentary ran something along the lines of she has no control now in that bit.
I can't remember what bit was in orginally (maybe a gag) but the bit it was changed into was a pelham!
I would love to have seen it bitless !!

Call me crazy, I don't ride bitted horses anymore but if I didn't I certainly wouldn't attempt to even get on anything that wouldn't stop in a Pelham.

As for rugging, don't get me started......

Ah, but have you read Xenophon? He said that the harsh bit (like the one pictured) was for training and then you should always go to a mild one. the horse must be 'light in the hand' before it is fit for war - after all, who wants a horse you can't stop and turn with your knees when you've got to wield a sword and a shield at the same time?
Interestingly Xenophon also said a horse should spend some time every day on a cobbled yard, to harden his feet. he said a lot of stuff the BHS ought to look at, and he said it 2,000 years ago.
It's a bit sad that someone who can't ride properly can get to the Olympics - and the Aussies are supposed to be good.

Did Xenophon's teachings ever make it into a book? Just curious I always hear him quoted but never actually seen his writings.

Yup the definitive one:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Art-Horsemanship-Xenophon/dp/0486447537/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1219080295&sr=8-8

FlorayG wrote:and the Aussies are supposed to be good.

They are, I got mixed up, she was from New Zealand.

Though a lot of the horses had large amounts of ironmongery adorning their faces.